Chapter VII

2. One of the members of Diva said: If a mortal judge, being in judgment between certain men, by which law shall he judge? On this matter the members spake at great length, and--

3. Div decreed: He cannot discern the higher law but dimly; the lower law he can read plainly in a book. He shall therefore judge by the lower, but by the highest interpretation. And then Div on his own account said:

4. For the priests of the Zarathustrians, who have carried the alms-bowl and lived in all things pure, being celibates, serving the Creator, Ormazd, only, going about doing good, they have the higher law, the Divan law, within their hearts; they shall judge by it. Nevertheless trouble cometh not into any of the worlds by those who strive to do aright, but by those who evade. The time shall come when the judge shall not interpret according to the higher law; he will strive to hide justice in a corner, using words to conceal his own perversity. It is by such men and such angels that heaven and earth will be blighted in coming time.

5. For, as through Zarathustra, God's Word hath been established on the earth; and since words themselves perish and are supplemented by new words, the time shall come when the higher law will fall, as a house on sand. For there are no words that are everlasting, and that are understood by all men alike; words themselves are but as husks that surround the corn. Men in darkness quibble on the husks, but discern not the fruit within.

6. Jehovih spake to Div, saying: Man buildeth a house, and it perisheth. Succeeding generations must also build, otherwise the art of building would perish. Better the building perish, than the art of building. I created all men to labor and to learn. What less requireth My Gods and angels? Because language melteth away, the language-makers, that is, My Lords and ashars, have constant employment of delight.

7. Div said: Foolish men run after a language that is dead and moldered away; but the wise seek language to express the spirit of things. The latter is under the Divan law; the former is bound as a druk. And herein shall ye be circumspect; because mortal judges, who judge by the lower law, are bound in words.

8. Copies of these Divan laws were given to mortals through the Lords and ashars, either by inspiration or by words spoken in sar'gissa. And in Jaffeth and Shem and Arabin'ya mortal kings decreed mortal laws and revelations, based on the Divan laws, and on the Zarathustrian laws.

9. Div propounded: A man and woman in mortal life were as druks, being filthy, and idle, begging from day to day, and yet they had born to them many children. And the children were alike lazy and worthless, being beggars also. Now in course of time, the man and woman die, and in time after, the children die also, and none of them are yet entered into the first resurrection in heaven, being beggars still and dwelling around their old haunts. What of them?

10. The Lords all spake on this subject, and after that Div decreed: Such spirits shall be reported by the ashars to the Lord, and the Lord shall send a captain with sufficient army to arrest them, and bring them away from the earth, and enter them in a colony for such purpose. This was called Divan act, the first.

11. Act, the second: For thirty days such drujas shall be clothed and fed. If by this time they manifest no inclination to labor, but are still lazy, they shall be removed into another region, where food can be obtained only by exertion.

12. Act, the third: This law shall apply also to mortals; through the ashars shall they be inspired to migrate to cold and unproductive regions. Div said: Herein hast Thou wisely planned, O Jehovih! For all Thy places in heaven and earth shall be subdued, and made to glorify Thee!